


The Announcement

by WPAdmirer



Series: Chicago Stories II [10]
Category: E.R., X-Files - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-21
Updated: 2011-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-15 20:10:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/164521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WPAdmirer/pseuds/WPAdmirer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay—John faces the music and outs himself to the ER.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: I got tired of waiting for some good John Carter slash, and there's never enough Skinner fic to suit me.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: It's not the author's intention to infringe upon or profit from the characters created and owned by Chris Carter, 1013 Productions or the Fox Network, nor Warner Brothers and NBC. Skinner and Carter were borrowed temporarily and returned almost immediately, relatively unharmed.
> 
> SPECIAL THANKS: To KiMeriKal and Crysothemis for beta reading and friendship.

"Hey! Carter! It's five-thirty. You planning on going to work today?"

John pressed his face against the smooth hot skin of Walter's back and pulled the covers over his head.

A moment later there was a pounding on the door to the room. "Carter! Up! Now!"

Walter rolled over, put one large hand against John's chest and pushed him out of the bed. John yelped as his bare ass hit the floor.

"Get ready for work so she'll shut up," Walter grumbled from beneath the comforter.

John got up and walked to the end of the bed. He grabbed the bottom of the comforter and yanked, pulling it off the bed in one motion. Walter curled into a tighter ball beneath the sheet. "Go away," he growled.

"I thought you were going in with me."

"Think again, Medicine Boy."

"Medicine Boy?"

Walter didn't respond, only burrowed deeper into the pillow. John was certainly not going to let him get away with that. He pulled the top sheet out from between the mattress and box springs, got a grip on it and pulled hard. It didn't budge. He looked closer and saw that Walter had one eye open and was grinning like the Cheshire cat. Well, if that was the game he was going to play…

John let go of the sheet and walked toward the bathroom. In the doorway he stopped just long enough to wiggle his butt at Walter, then he closed the door behind him.

In microseconds the door burst open and Walter grabbed him up from behind, lifting him until his feet were not touching the floor.

"You wiggling your ass at me, Medicine Boy?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"That could prove very risky."

"For whom?"

Walter growled and latched on with his teeth to a spot just below John Carter's beard line. He bit and then began to suck hard. Jesus! He's giving me a hicky, John thought as he tried to squirm out of Walter's grip. There was no escaping. When Walter finally let him go he looked in the mirror and saw a large red hicky that would soon turn into a lovely purpling bruise. It was just below his beard and well above his collar. It would be visible to anyone walking up to him or standing beside him.

"Walter…"

Walter kissed the side of his face, then moved up, tracing the folds of his ear with his tongue. John moaned softly.

"You're starting to whine almost as good as Mulder."

"I wasn't whining."

"'Walter…'" His voice imitated John's tone. "Fortunately you're much cuter when you whine. At least to me."

"Thank God for small mercies."

Walter laughed and slapped John's ass. "Shower and get dressed. I'll make the bed."

John considered for a moment asking Walter to join him in the shower, but as soon as he stepped into it, he realized there was no way they could both fit in the space. In fact, with Walter's shoulders, John Carter wasn't sure how well Walter would fit.

He showered quickly to leave hot water for Walter. When he came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, Walter had made the bed and laid clothing out for himself. Grabbing up his shave kit, Walter headed into the bathroom. But not before he grabbed John's towel away and swatted him on bare cheeks again.

"What is it with you and my ass this morning?"

"I like your ass all the time."

John Carter dressed in record time. He had to face Kerry this morning, and he knew it would be better done alone. A playful Walter was a dangerous Walter.

Kerry was sitting at the butcher block reading the paper and drinking one of her smoothie things. This one was an almost neon yellow-green. God only knew what was in it. She looked up as he came into the kitchen.

"Feeling better?"

John Carter shrugged. "Not really."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really. But I need to tell you anyway." He sighed and leaned against the counter. "My grandfather is going to ruin Walter's career. I am being disowned. Today the world finds out that I'm in love with a man."

"Okay."

John felt rage rush through his body and explode out through the top of his head. "Jesus Fucking Christ, don't you and Walter get it? Because of one fucking asshole our lives are being destroyed. Walter's losing his job, my family hates me. They didn't like me much before, but now they actually hate me. My sex life is going to be splashed across every tabloid headline in Chicago, and maybe nationally, because after all, it's not every day that a white boy is disowned by one of the richest families in America because he's having sex with a goddamn Assistant Director of the Federal Fucking Bureau of Investigation!"

"Gosh. My badge only has one F. I got cheated."

John whirled around and Walter was standing in the doorway, unshaved, with just his slacks on.

"The power just cut off in your bathroom. Where's the breaker box?"

"It's in the closet. Were you using an electric razor?"

"Yeah, is that the problem?"

"Not if you unplug John's first. It's on some kind of charger thing and it has to be unplugged before anything else can run in the bathroom."

"Got it. Thanks."

Walter turned around and disappeared down the steps.

"Sit down, Carter." Kerry kicked a stool away from the block and motioned for him to sit down. "Listen, I know this isn't easy. No one likes their private life becoming public. But the bottom line is you are in love with this man, and you've made it clear that you're not giving him up. People that really love you aren't going to give a rat's ass who you're sleeping with. The patients you see want a good doctor. That's all. They don't even know your name half the time. Other than disappointing a lot of young females throughout the hospital, and winning Mark a shitload of money from the betting pool on your sexual orientation, nothing much is going to change."

"Except my family and Walter's career."

"John, your family doesn't speak to you anyway. When was the last time your grandfather called you?"

John Carter shrugged.

"And as for Walter's job, as long as he's okay with it, you've got nothing to say. That's his part of the bargain, and from what I see, he thinks you're worth it."

John Carter nodded.

"When does Walter go back to D.C.?"

"Late morning. He's coming in to work with me."

"Oh?"

"I'm going to tell everyone and introduce him. I owe Walter that. And I figure maybe it'll stop some of the rumors."

Kerry's face became thoughtful and she drank her smoothie. "I think that's a good idea. We'll all go in together."

"Thanks."  
***

Walter drove them into the hospital. He and Kerry chatted, fortunately not about sex this time. John was relieved. He didn't think he could handle any more of that kind of discussion. His stomach had been doing flip-flops since he'd gotten dressed. He'd managed to drink a glass of apple juice, but had avoided coffee. What was normally his life blood would have turned his stomach into a raging inferno this morning.

Once at the ER, Kerry pointed John and Walter toward the lounge. "I'll get everyone in there."

John nodded, and noticed that Walter had gone silent, too. John put on his lab coat and then sat down on the couch with Walter.

"Nervous?"

"Oh, yeah."

Walter reached out and took his hand. "Me, too. Guess it's a good dry run for me and the director."

"Somehow, I don't think this will be like anything you'll be doing," John said softly.

Walter chuckled. "You're right. I was just trying to make you feel better." Walter squeezed John's hand. "Whatever happens," he said softly.

John nodded.

In just moments the door popped open and the staff was herded in by a hustling Kerry Weaver. She got them into the room, then nodded to John. "They're all yours. I'll cover the front desk. You've got 10 minutes, barring incoming traumas."

The door closed and everyone turned their heads toward John Carter. He wanted to shrink back into the couch, but Walter's hand held firm. He looked at Walter who smiled. Well, there was no time like the present, he thought. He stood up.

"There's been a change in my life over the past few months, and I want to share that change with you, my friends and co-workers." John took Walter by the hand and had him stand. "This is Walter Skinner. We're a couple in the dating and romantic sense of the word…"

"SHIT!" Jerry slammed one large hand against the metal locker behind him. The lockers rocked a little as the sound died away.

Mark Greene rose from a chair at the table. "Okay, I believe that makes me the winner."

Jerry stormed out of the room, throwing the door open, swearing as he disappeared into the hallway.

Carol Hathaway patted John on the arm. "Don't take it personally. Jerry had fifty bucks on you being straight."

"That's very comforting, Carol," John dropped back down on the couch. God, the betting pool got more attention than probably the most important announcement of his life. It was humiliating.

Carol held her hand out to Walter. "Carol Hathaway, nice to meet you, Walter."

Walter smiled. "Nice to meet you. I think John Carter's a little disappointed. It wasn't quite the dramatic revelation he thought it'd be."

Maggie Doyle slapped her palms against her thighs and turned to Yoshi. "All right. We've almost got ourselves a basketball team."

Yoshi laughed and nodded towards Walter. "He's big enough to count for two. We get him, we got a team."

Walter beamed. John Carter buried his face in his hands.

"Okay, guess that about covers it. You got anything else to say, Carter?" Mark settled back into business as usual mode.

Carter shook his head.

"Then back to work, people. We got patients out there."

There was a general grumbling, then the laughter and chatter took over as everyone readied themselves to head out and face patients again. Before they could start to move through the door, it opened and Dr. Anspaugh stood in the opening. "If everyone will just give me a minute, I have an announcement to make." They all paused and grew quiet. Kerry stood just behind him. He stepped into the room and she followed.

John Carter lifted his head at the sound of Anspaugh's voice. His heart began to race. Oh, God, someone had already gotten the word to Anspaugh. John tried to take a deep breath and calm himself. Jerry! Jerry had gone straight to Anspaugh with the news. Walter sat down next to him, putting his arm over John's shoulder.

"I just received a call from the police. Dale Edson was found murdered in his apartment. There will be officers coming in to take statements from any staff member who has worked with Dr. Edson recently. Since he was covering the ER this last week, they want to talk with all of you. I'm asking you to cooperate. I know this is a shock, but the best way to be sure that his killer is brought to justice is for us to provide the police with any information we have. Let them decide what's relevant and what's not."

The silence was heavy in the room. Anspaugh didn't say anything more. He simply turned and left the room.

John Carter began to hyperventilate. Edson was dead. Edson was dead and he'd just outed himself to the entire department. Oh, God! Edson was dead and there were copies of the medical files and the letter of resignation he'd wanted John to sign somewhere. The police would find them and then they would think that he'd killed Edson. But he couldn't have killed Edson, he was in bed with Walter, which meant that Walter hadn't killed Edson either.

GRANDPA. The word seemed to appear before his eyes, hanging in the air, blurring out the sight of his co-workers in the room.

Oh, sweet Jesus.


End file.
